Jixia Academy Opens! Bibi Dong's Mockery! Hu Liena Infiltrates!

Jixia Academy was soon completed.

With the completion of Jixia Academy,

news that caused a sensation throughout Chang'an spread.

All Soul Masters in Chang'an were required to enter Jixia Academy for further study!

The news was nothing short of shocking!

Many Soul Masters had been making a comfortable living off their own martial souls.

They were suddenly forbidden from earning money, their source of income monopolized.

Many Soul Masters became dissatisfied.

Fortunately, compensation was promptly provided.

Faced with fairly decent pay, and since these Soul Masters were not particularly strong and could not stir up much trouble, they quickly suppressed their dissatisfaction and began packing their belongings before heading to Jixia Academy one after another.

Many young Soul Masters, meanwhile, were extremely interested in Jixia Academy!

Since the empire had spent such a huge sum on Jixia Academy,

it would surely provide Soul Masters of ordinary talent like them with a good learning environment.

After all, Soul Masters with average or poor talent were the most numerous on the continent!

These young Soul Masters of average talent were not valued by the various academies.

Now that Jixia Academy had finally appeared, they were naturally willing to go!

At the same time, Jixia Academy began recruiting Soul Masters from outside.

It used highly generous subsidies to attract commoner Soul Masters from across the continent to join.

Chang'an Empire had previously defeated Tian Dou Empire in succession, displaying tremendous strength.

Now, with such fanfare in founding a Soul Master academy and broadly recruiting Soul Masters, it also drew the attention of many Soul Masters.

Heaven Dou Imperial Capital.

Seeing that no one was around, Xue Ye, seated upon the Swan Throne, removed his crown, revealing the sparse hair beneath it.

Since the founding of Chang'an Empire, Tian Dou Empire had suffered one crushing defeat after another.

He had been so worried that he could neither eat nor sleep, and had lost quite a bit of hair.

He rubbed his head, put his crown back on, then picked up the latest intelligence report on Chang'an Empire and began reading.

"Jixia Academy?"

"Why is Chang'an Empire going to such lengths to recruit commoner Soul Masters?"

Tian Dou Empire also had Soul Master Academies, but the only one directly under imperial control was the Royal Academy.

Yet Chang'an Empire, like Spirit Hall, was sparing no effort to win over commoner Soul Masters.

Commoner Soul Masters were not genius Soul Masters.

Every genius Soul Master would be recruited and fought over by various factions.

If the teachers of their Royal Academy encountered a Soul Master with exceptional talent, they too would do everything they could to recruit them.

The empire would likewise provide resources to nurture them.

Every genius Soul Master had long since been divided up among the various factions and academies.

Those left for Chang'an were all students of ordinary talent.

There might be a few students with decent aptitude mixed in, but there definitely would not be many!

Such commoner Soul Masters were not highly regarded by many factions.

In the past, only Spirit Hall had truly valued the development of commoner Soul Masters.

Now, Chang'an Empire was another.

"Chang'an Empire split off from Tian Dou Empire and has little Soul Master foundation to begin with. What is he trying to pull now?"

Xue Ye set down the intelligence report, utterly unable to make sense of it.

Tian Dou Empire's Soul Master foundation was not particularly strong either.

It relied entirely on several other civilian Soul Master Academies to keep up appearances.

Not to mention Chang'an Empire, which had broken away from Tian Dou!

However, seeing Xue Luochuan invest such a massive amount of money into this,

he let out a relieved sigh and secretly rejoiced.

Chang'an Empire's development was being held back by Jixia Academy, so Heaven Dou could remain stable for a while longer.

Spirit City, Pope's Palace.

"A Soul Master Academy, Jixia Academy?"

Bibi Dong held a letter in her hand, her slender willow-like brows knitted tightly together.

"This is bad. Xue Luochuan is going to compete with Spirit Hall for people!"

Spirit Hall had become the continent's number one faction by controlling a vast amount of Soul Master power!

Now, Chang'an Empire had emerged to openly compete with Spirit Hall for commoner Soul Masters!

This was shaking Spirit Hall's very foundation!

Moreover, Chang'an Empire was not very far from Spirit Hall.

This was practically a taunt right to their faces!

"Your Holiness, are you perhaps overthinking it?" Chrysanthemum Douluo spread his hands and mocked disdainfully. "Spirit Hall possesses the most complete Soul Master system on the entire continent. What does a mere Jixia Academy have to compete with us for people?"

"Yes, Your Holiness. Nearly all Soul Masters on the continent have already been divided among the various factions. Independent cultivators would not join Jixia Academy either. How could he possibly compete?" Porcupinefish Douluo nodded in agreement.

Some confidence returned to Bibi Dong's breathtakingly beautiful face, and she lifted her proud chest.

That did seem to be the case!

"They founded a Soul Master Academy in such a rush. Perhaps at the next All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament a year from now, we can even take the opportunity to watch them make fools of themselves!" Chrysanthemum Douluo covered his mouth and chuckled.

The All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament was a student competition jointly held by all Soul Master Academies on the continent.

This tournament could influence the younger generation of Soul Masters in their choice of academy.

With Jixia Academy's fame, it would certainly have to send a team to participate.

But with Chang'an Empire's current teaching system,

it probably would not even make it to the finals!

They could seize this chance to thoroughly publicize and humiliate Chang'an Empire!

Furthermore, Chang'an Empire's extensive recruitment of Soul Masters from across the continent was also the best opportunity for Spirit Hall to infiltrate it!

Ever since the Great Wall had been completed, the speed at which undercover agents transmitted intelligence had noticeably slowed.

She needed to plant more eyes and ears to keep track of Chang'an Empire's every move in real time.

At the same time, she could probe Jixia Academy's true capabilities.

She wanted to see whether Jixia Academy would truly produce any influence or threat!

She quickly settled on a candidate and said in a low voice, "Have Hu Liena come see me."

Xing Luo Imperial Capital.

The broad, towering old man seated upon the White Tiger Throne held an intelligence report in his hand and calmly looked toward the ministers in the great hall.

"Jixia Academy, which Chang'an Empire has vigorously established, has opened. What are your thoughts?"

Dai Weisi was the first to speak.

"It is merely a Soul Master Academy. It cannot stir up much trouble in the short term."

"The continent's talented Soul Masters were long ago taken by us, and many commoner Soul Masters have also attached themselves to Spirit Hall."

"For Chang'an Empire, a newly risen nation with an extremely poor Soul Master foundation, to try to enter the Soul Master field would be no easier than starting from nothing and expanding its territory!"

"With such an extravagant investment, it would take at least ten years to see results, delaying Chang'an's development all the while!"

"The world situation changes constantly. Ten years is enough for many things to happen!"

"In my view, this is a foolish move!"

Every nation was trying to spend money to expand its forces.

They were preparing for the major war that was highly likely to erupt next!

Yet at such a time, Chang'an Empire was spending a large amount of military funds on this.

It was no different from seeking its own destruction!

Emperor Xing Luo nodded in satisfaction.

As the eldest prince, Dai Weisi was not only powerful himself, but also so knowledgeable about the continent's situation.

He already possessed the bearing of an emperor!

With Xing Luo Empire having such a worthy successor, even if the continent's situation changed drastically, Xing Luo Empire would surely remain unscathed!